Many pundits and pollsters are weighing in post-election on why the Republicans won such a decisive victory across the board. Among the reasons for President Bush's victory is the decisive rejection by voters of cultural and political elitism that has dominated America since the 1960's.

 Under the heading of cultural elitism we can include such things as Hollywood's pernicious influence, as exemplified by the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction", gay marriage imposed by courts, and even obstructionist tactics by the now defeated Tom Daschle. The message sent by the American people was an appropriately democratic one: we don't want our values imposed. We want some say. We want to vote on them. And vote they did.

 One of the big losers in this election was the legal profession, including judges. American society has suffered for the last 30 years from judicial tyranny, beginning with Roe v. Wade. But the pace accelerated in the past few years, most notably with the 9th Circuit's Pledge of Allegiance ruling and the imposition of gay marriage by the Supreme Court of Massachusetts. When you add US Senate obstructionism and the medical liability crisis, you end up with a fed-up American electorate.

 It was more than just values that were at stake in this election, as important as they were. But the manner in which those values are settled. The message the American people sent was: we want to decide these things. These matters belong to us, not to elitist judges in high places. Contrary to what the left might think, the American people are fair-minded about most issues. The may even agree that social change is desirable in some cases. But what they won't agree to is social and cultural tyranny by unelected judges lawyers, and politicians. The turning out of a Senate leader for the first time in fifty years sent that message loud and clear, as did the rejection of gay marriage in 100% of the referenda.

 So the message to lawyers and the Hollywood elite was the same. Stop imposing your values. We don't like them. We don't want them. And above all, we want a say in the make-up of the cultural and political landscape that is America. The only question is: Are the ABA, the trial lawyers and the Democratic Party listening?

  John Pendleton